“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Her incredulous look almost makes me break out in laughter. But I hold it together, enough to continue my story…

“You were in jail in Bad Reichenhall… as a suspect in an arson?!?” She sits back and looks at me.

A serendipitous event took me to Bad Reichenhall, Germany, tucked within the Bavarian Alps. I went to visit a supplier/customer who has become a great friend, and since it was Friday, we moved the business discussion to the trails of the Alps—the great late-afternoon weather meant it was all about trekking and seeing as much of the Bavarian Alps as possible.

With the bit of Irish Luck that flows in my blood, it ended up being a quick but perfect outing for both photography and nature in its purest form. There is something intense about the first breath of pure mountain air… it soothes the soul.

The natural beauty there was astounding; Bavaria’s flavor exceeded expectations.

My friend and mentor, born and raised in Bad Reichenhall, is very proud not only of the land’s beauty, but also of how generations of his family have remained healthy because of natural living in this area.

“Granted, history has its dark moments, and if you look up to that peak, you will see Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest.” And he points out the landmark. “While we don’t have time to visit and hike along the ridge’s edge, it does hold a view of Bavaria that is rare.”

With this, on Friday afternoon, I pointed my long lens and snapped a few shots. Little did I know I had just taken some of the last photographs of the Eagle’s Nest that afternoon — hours before the fire.

After a night of tasting some of the finer Bavarian brews, I woke early and took a stroll around Thumsee, a lake in a protected landscape surrounded by wooded slopes. Rain and overcast skies let the chill work through my clothing, but it was another piece of Bad Reichenhall’s bliss, and I knew hot coffee was waiting for me back at my hotel.

Hotel Seeblick, Thumsee, still under a restless sky. And the boathouse at Thumsee

Taking in and breathing in all this place had to offer, I made a slow walk back up to my hotel, where I met my friend for the business meeting we had put off on Friday. His first comment was a bit stunning: the Eagle’s Nest is no more.

Overnight, fire had swept through the Eagle’s Nest (Kehlsteinhaus in German); by morning, police said it had burned down almost completely (AP). A man was arrested on suspicion of arson, and no one was injured.

From that morning until today, a group of friends kept the story alive—telling others that I had photographed the final images of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, and was thus a suspect in its arson demise…

I could not hold back the truth any longer, and finally broke down and said: “No, I was not arrested… I’m late in returning because I decided to stop in Salzburg’s Old Town, and spent the night.”

She just looked at me. And said something I’ve heard many times before: “You’re an asshole.”

She turned to her phone and looked at the photos I had sent her days earlier.

Her laughter made me feel better, and she looked up and said, “It really doesn’t surprise me… this is a pretty good story.”

Now, while it is very unlikely these photos are the last ever taken of the Eagle’s Nest, I think it is safe to say they are likely part of the last batch. We calculated the time difference between the photos and the fire—it was reported around 9:15 that night—and figured there were five or fewer hours between the two.

“Maybe you got a photo of the arsonist?!?” She wondered aloud.

Unfortunately, the photos hold no telling details. Still… it was a fascinating place, even if only for the magnificent views of the valleys and mountains in which it was nestled.